Let Me Be First
by Zerectica
Summary: A tough mission on New Year's Eve leaves the the team too exhausted to stay up until midnight. One-Shot.


_**A/N: This is just a very short, very simple little story for New Year's, but I hope you like it anyway.**_

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Darkness had fallen over the city of Burbank California, yet it was still alive with activity. Tonight was December 31, the last day of the year. Also known as New Year's Eve. People all throughout Burbank were attending parties, throwing huge celebrations and just having fun.

Midnight was less than half an hour away and the excitement for the coming of the new year was growing. But not everyone was feeling that excitement. Team Bartowski had just completed a grueling mission that had lasted nearly thirteen hours. Now that they had finally taken the bad guys down, they wanted nothing more than to go to their respective homes and do nothing, except maybe sleep.

When Chuck finally arrived back at the home with which he shared with his sister and her husband, he headed for the Morgan Door, rather than the front door. He knew Ellie would insist that he stay up with them and help to ring in the new year, but he was exhausted. His legs were screaming. His back was aching. His arms were sore. Every inch of his body was wracked with pain. Even his hair hurt. His soft, warm bed was calling his name and he couldn't wait to collapse on its inviting surface.

Chuck could barely gather the strength needed to lift the window of the Morgan Door and climb in. Every movement was agonizing. When at last he reached his bed, he fell face first to the mattress, not even bothering to change his clothes or remove his shoes. He didn't care he just wanted to sleep. The Intersect was worn out.

Chuck never loved his bed more than he did tonight. He never wanted to leave it again. His sister would have to pry him off it in the morning, if she wanted him to get out of bed. Sleep pulled him under in a matter of seconds and he was out, his pain forgotten the moment he hit the bed.

Not too far away, in an apartment building with bright green doors, the super agent Sarah Walker was slowly walking the hallway to her room. Like Chuck, she too was ready to crawl into bed. She couldn't wait until she could curl up under the cozy sheets and let her body finally relax.

After unlocking her door and stepping through, Sarah immediately secured the lock once again. As a spy, she could never be too careful with security. She always had enemies, and danger could be lurking in any corner or behind any shadow.

Sarah, having a little more energy than Chuck, was able change out of her mission gear and into clothing suitable for sleeping before settling in for the night. After checking to see that her trusty knife was nestled safely beneath her pillow, Sarah rested her head atop its softness, relaxed her muscles and pulled the covers up over her body.

She had soon drifted off into a comfortable sleep, her body slowly working to build itself back up to its top form, so she would be ready when the next mission came along. But for now, her only concerns were about her warm bed and not being disturbed until the morning sun was high in the air.

Chuck had just really gotten to sleep, when he was being awakened by loud noises on the other side of the door. A combination of party horns, screams and cheers reverberated through the walls and penetrated his ears, pulling him from the blissful sleep he had found.

Groaning and turning over in bed, ignoring the complaints of his every muscle, Chuck glanced over at his clock. When he did so, the numbers which greeted his eyes were those that were synonymous with midnight. The new year had arrived.

The celebrations of his sister and Devon continued and Chuck couldn't find his way back to the glorious sleep he had been unceremoniously yanked from by the clock's striking of midnight. Chuck accepted the fact that he wouldn't be getting back to sleep any time soon, but that didn't mean he had to get out of the bed. Nothing would make him get up. Moving just enough to retrieve his phone from his pocket, Chuck proceeded to dial a familiar number.

When the phone rang, filling the up until then silent apartment, with its unwelcome sound, Sarah gripped her knife tightly in her fist, ready to fling it at the source of the interruption and make sure it never again dared disturb her sleep. When Sarah realized that it was her phone that had pulled her from her sleep, she released the death grip she held on her knife and reached for the object to stop the persistent ringing.

Seeing Chuck's face on the phone, Sarah began to worry. "Hi Chuck. What's wrong? Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"No, no-- I'm fine. I-- well-- I just wanted to be the first one to wish you a happy new year."

Sarah was angered that Chuck had woken her for non-emergency purposes, but at the same time she loved that he had called to wish her a happy new year. No one else had ever bestowed such a wish on her and it warmed her heart to hear the words come from Chuck's mouth.

"Happy New Year, Chuck," Sarah responded in kind, making tonight the first time she had ever uttered those words to anyone before. She couldn't describe her feelings at finally being able to say those words to someone and the fact that it was Chuck she had said them to, just made it that much more special.

"I'm sorry if I woke you. I just wanted to be able to say, Happy New Year."

"That's okay Chuck. It was sweet."

Neither Chuck nor Sarah spoke another word, as they had both fallen back to sleep. Their phones left on and forgotten on the bed. The connection between the the two never breaking. And as they slept through the night, it was as though they the spent the new year together.

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**A/N: And there you have it, my last Chuck fic of 2009. I hope you have enjoyed this story and my others as well. Happy New Year everyone and I'll see you in 2010.**


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